James R | On 12, Aug 2015

Constantine is coming back… kind of.

The Warner Bros. TV show, based on DC Comics series Hellblazer, premiered at the start of the year on NBC, before being snapped by Amazon Prime Instant Video for exclusive streaming in the UK. But while we welcomed its dark humour and supernatural subject matter as a promising contrast to the other super hero series already on our screens, Constantine was to prove short-lived, with NBC choosing not to renew the show past its initial 13-episode run and later cancelling it altogether.

The David S. Goyer drama was rumoured to be moving to sister channel Syfy, but Warner was reportedly unable to find a home for the programme, with showrunner Daniel Cerone thanking fans for their support.

“I promised I’d share news when I had it — sadly, that news is not good,” he wrote in a blog post. “The cast and writers of Constantine are being released from their contracts. The studio tried to find a new home for the show, for which we’re forever grateful, but those efforts didn’t pan out. I’m sorry, I wasn’t provided any information on the attempts to sell the show elsewhere. All I can report is that the show is over.”

Constantine’s legacy will live on, though, in the form of its strongest asset: the casting of Matt Ryan as the magician-turned-occult detective. Ryan will reprise his role on another DC show: Arrow.

Constantine will have a guest starring role in Episode 5 of Arrow’s Season 4. Titled Haunted, the episode will see Constantine provide “valuable support to Oliver (Stephen Amell) when arrows just won’t suffice”, The CW told THR.

“We are thrilled to have Matt Ryan reprise the role of John Constantine on an upcoming episode of Arrow. Matt is an incredibly talented actor and his portrayal of this beloved character was always something we admired,” commented Arrow executive producer Marc Guggenheim in a statement. “The introduction of magic and mysticism on the show this season has provided a truly organic opportunity for us to bring John Constantine to Arrow and the CW’s DC universe. It will be a well-deserved tip of the hat to all the Constantine fans who were so incredibly supportive of that series.”

The official announcement follows anticipation of a possible team-up among fans, thanks to Amell offering whoever bought up the second season of Constantine a cameo of his own as Oliver Queen / The Arrow. Ryan’s continuing association with the role of Constantine in the DC / Warner Bros / CW universe is also a promising sign for the future, should Constantine ever find a second life in a fuller form.

Ryan announced the deal with his own message on Twitter:

The Trench Coat is being dusted off. #Constantine #Arrow @CW_Arrow @amellywood looking forward to it. #thisfall pic.twitter.com/fROWx4RJ9o

— Matt Ryan (@mattryanreal) August 11, 2015

Season 4 of Arrow premieres on Wednesday 7th October on The CW in the US and will air on Sky 1 here – although there is no confirmed UK air date yet.

For more on Constantine, read our reviews of the under-rated Season 1 here.

 

Constantine is currently available to buy and download on Google Play.

Add to Watchlist